Lover in Dark

Blind-bought this based on the notes (was particularly curious about thyme) – and it didn’t disappoint me! Opens rich and fruity, with prominent plum. Then it becomes warm, woody, enveloping, and sweet without being cloying. A bit powdery – just the right amount. Enjoyable and comforting. Yet it’s the thyme that makes it absolutely addictive to me. I loooove thyme – as a cooking herb, as tea, as aromatic ingredient in cosmetics, as the summery smell that fills the air on the hilltops under the scorching sun. Thyme is the central jewel in this olfactory crown, supported by cinnamon and vanilla on the flanks – yet surprisingly, these delicious ingredients don’t make this scent edible. Maybe drinkable? It does remind me of herbal tea. It’s a bit similar to Oriflame’s Amber Elixir, but lighter, brighter, and with just a touch of herbal bitterness. If you like Amber Elixir, but it feels too heavy for everyday wear or too “migrainey” for a stuffy office, try this one. It’s a “love” from me, which doesn’t happen too often. I’m still hunting for the scent that I wouldn’t get tired of in a day or two and Lover in the Dark is number one in the running. By the way, I don’t perceive this scent as particularly “dark,” rather, it’s warm and pleasant – like staying in the shade during the heat wave. Mind you, neither do I see Dior’s Midnight Poison as “dark,” so maybe I just don’t understand what “dark” means in perfume.

So, despite the bottle being absolutely hideous, the juice inside is amazing. This is a very interesting scent. I didn't have in my collection anything similar to this and I must admit I am very glad I bought it. Upon the first spray, it was sweet-spicy but with a twist. Then, it became intensely powdery but with a fresh undertone and at the same time, the spice was really alive in the background. Then, a masculine aromatic touch started to develop and at this point I could really picture smelling this on a man and truly enjoying it. Later, the vanilla came in the spotlight, while the powdery notes remained, but toned down a little. The fruity side is not so prominent to my nose but I don't mind. I also don't mind that it tends to lean masculine at some point, on the contrary. Overall I think this is a pretty complex scent and it's a real pleasure to smell it throughout all its phases. It has a certain depth that intrigues me. It's like a warm, safe and intimate embrace from your dark lover, so under this aspect the name is well chosen. I see that the notes are almost identical to Alive by Boss, but I tried that only once a long time ago and I'm not sure about the similarities between them.

Being aware that perfume is a subjective matter, I don't agree with @carat, @nakota and especially @valentina.marini's reviews. I don't sense any putrid plum, no harshness or cheapness in this perfume. It's a dark, spicy, strong and lasting scent, with great sillage (at least an arm's length), of great value and quality for its price. On my skin it's not linear at all and it takes at least an hour to develop. It's mainly a masculine scent, more suitable for cold(er) weather. It's not identical to YSL Libre Intense. Golden Decade from Zara is a spot-on dupe of Libre Intense.

What a beautiful fragrance. It smells far more expensive than its actual price. I got a 50 ml bottle for only €6. I blind bought it thinking it would be a dupe for Hugo Boss Alive, but honestly, I like this much more. Personally, I think it’s actually closer to Seductive Noir by Guess. I don’t really understand why some reviews describe it as masculine. I suppose it could be considered unisex, but to me it definitely leans more feminine. I get the plum and apple in the opening. After that, it becomes mostly an aromatic woody vanilla fragrance.

A fragrance that opens fresh and fruity, sweet without being cloying, but quickly evolves into a pleasant woody fragrance with a hint of vanilla in the background. I see it more suitable for times on the cool side, and very sensual for nights. I really like the bottle, although the cap is plastic, it fits very well, it does not fall off. It's worth it for its low price and I don't have anything like it in my collection as I don't have many fragrances with woody notes. I think it will be a new favorite.

I have more or less the same experience as other reviewers. I'd say this scent is just in the middle between HB Alive and YSL Libre Intense. With cinnamon and woods it takes something spicy from Alive, with thyme - a masculine vibe from Libre Intense. In the drydown, they are all pretty similar. On my skin after an hour, I can't really differentiate between Lover in Dark and Libre Intense, which I own as well, except longevity and projection. Lover in Dark is a mixture of cheap, harsh and utterly sweet in the opening, quite headache inducing, but it gets more inoffensive and intimate with time. I don't get that much plum or apple - to me they just give the overall cloying sweetness in the beginning and then are taken over by spicy vanilla. If you already have Alive or Libre (Intense), this one is absolutely redundant for you. If not and you'd like to try it, plus save some money, it's worth checking. The longevity is obviously worse than Libre Intense but - at least on my skin - quite similar to Alive and Libre. Once it's past the initial sweetness, this one could be worn by a man, being slightly more feminine, but to the acceptable extent. I wouldn't call it too masculine-leaning for a woman, but perhaps I'm saying it because I'm used to Libre Intense. I remember I would be bothered by Libre's masculinity in the past, before it grew on me.

When I first got this one I did NOT like it at all. The plum note was kind of putrid and it smelled like sweet spoiled milk. It was cloying and just.. Awful. I was very disappointed BUT I let it macerate for a couple of months, tried it again, and the change was noticeable. It makes so much sense now as a fragrance, beware not to use it when the weather gets too warm! There's something about it that just doesn't go with my pH, but on paper and other people it smells really nice. It's definitely a dupe of Alive, I went to the store to smell that one before purchasing Lover in Dark, and they smell pretty much the same after letting the latter macerate. Overall, nice for the colder months, and try on skin if you can. It's definitely strong.

this one starts out sweet and herbal. vanilla, plum and thyme mostly, with a hint of cinnamon. it stays pretty linear, though the herbalness does calm a bit. it's quite sweet with a mix of traditionally masculine fougere type of thing from the thyme. it's both too sweet and too trad. masculine for me, so i will have to pass it on. it's not bad though! just not for me.

this one is a NOPE. smells like a very cheap shower gel, cedar + sandal + tyme and vanilla plus fruits is a messy pyramid, their mix so badddd, like sweaty skin. sillage is non existant, it's barely there, if you happen to like it.